“Some things depend on talent. If you can’t do it, don’t force yourself and admit that you’re a loser. Be a man.” Nathaniel was insinuating that Anthony didn’t do that job well.
The dark belonged to Nathaniel. He might’ve allowed Anthony to enter his territory, but there was no way he’d let Anthony become the other beacon in the dark.
Though he was the one who trained Anthony, they had been competing in secret to win over each other. To defeat Anthony, Nathaniel had sold out information about him that resulted in a police raid. As a result, Anthony was wounded.
Today was no different. Back then, Nathaniel’s business had nothing to do with Chanaea, but strangely, he had decided to get a piece of the market. Gaining control of the market would prove that he was the better one among both of them.
For now, Freja was forced to back down, and Nathaniel would get the merit. Anthony was no match for him.
Hearing his provoking words, Anthony didn’t bother putting up an act and returned to his previous snarky self. Turning back to look at me, he sneered, “Hear that? Don’t force yourself.”
Me? Hello? Are we even related?
Having said that, he shook his head and laughed coldly before striding out of the place. I stared at his annoying back in exasperation.
When the elevator doors slid shut, I suddenly remembered that I had hitched a ride here in his car. I parted my lips to stop him, but it was too late.
Left with no choice, I had to go to Nathaniel for help. It was the perfect chance to spend some time with him to win over his irritating heart.
The moment I spun on my heels to butter up to him, I realized he was glaring at me darkly. When our gazes met, he whipped his head around and marched down the stairs.
“Nathaniel!” I called out. “Hey!”
Never mind if Anthony didn’t hear me. I was certain that he heard me, but all he did was to quicken his steps.
What is going on? Am I a plague or something?
“Ms. Stanhope, if you don’t mind, I can give you a ride,” Freja offered suddenly.
There was no way I’d head back on my heels. “Thanks.”
However, I quickly regretted my decision. Perhaps Freja was upset after what Nathaniel did to her, for she said nothing on the journey home. An awkward and tensed silence ensued.
I alighted from the car once we entered the city, planning to get my chauffeur to pick me up.
Freja gave me a side glance. “We’re still a distance away from the city center. Are you sure?”
“It’s fine. I need to attend to something nearby, so I’m not heading back home yet. Thank you, Ms. Schmidt,” I thanked her gratefully.
“You’re welcome.” Freja looked down and shut the door. She then ordered the chauffeur to leave.
Soon, the car sped off.
I watched as the car disappeared from sight and heaved a long sigh of relief. Finally, I could take a breather alone.
It was peak hour, and I didn’t want to be stuck in a jam for hours. That would be too agonizing. After calming down, I walked into the commercial district slowly.
When I walked past a café, the aroma of coffee caught my attention. Thus, I went in and sat down at a table before ordering a hot Americano with half a spoonful of sugar.
Anthony was the only person who loved drinking an Americano without adding any sugar.
I pondered for a while before dialing Jackson’s number.
His phone rang for several seconds before he answered. “Scar? How are you?” His familiar voice drifted through the call.
“I’m all right. Were you still up at this hour?” I was merely trying my luck, so it was surprising when the call got connected.
“I’m in the middle of a war,” came Jackson’s answer.
“What?” I was confused, for there didn’t seem to be any military operations in M Country recently.
“Well, it’s nothing serious. What about you? Why did you call me?” As usual, Jackson knew me well.
Friends like us would fight when we were in the same city, but now that we were on different continents, he still remembered every bit of detail about me.
I lowered my head and chuckled. Going straight to the point, I asked, “You major in psychology, right? I have a question. If a man is in love with a woman but ignores and avoids communicating with her, what the hell is he thinking?”
“Are you talking about Anthony?” Jackson responded. “The media in M Country has reported about him and Rylee. That was really bad.”
“Yes, it’s quite troublesome, but I’m not talking about him.” I scratched my head and flashed a helpless smile. “This is about a friend. I’m asking it on behalf of a friend.”
It wasn’t nice to play with someone else’s feelings. Jackson was innocent, so I didn’t want to air my dirty deeds before him.
“Right, your friend…” Jackson repeated and sounded like he didn’t believe me fully. “All right. Tell your friend that it’s a prime example of a dismissive-avoidant attachment style. The more he likes someone, the more afraid he is to face that person. It might be his pride coming in the way, for he feels that he isn’t a worthy partner. He might be worried that he’d lose the person after revealing his feelings. To conclude, your friend lacks security and confidence when it comes to relationships.”
He deliberately put emphasis when he mentioned my so-called friend to highlight his sarcasm to tease me like the friend he was.
I ignored his teasing words and mumbled to myself, “Lack of security, huh?”
Nathaniel is as evil as Grim Reaper himself. He looks as though he has a strong heart, but it turns out he lacks confidence?
Comprehension dawned. Yes, that’s right. Everyone is a coward before their loved ones!
“What should I…” I blurted out without thinking much before correcting myself. “I mean, what should my friend do to get to the next step?”
Jackson burst out laughing. It took him a while to calm down and regain his composure before whispering, “Remember, Scar, jealousy is a catalyst in every relationship. If you want it to work out, make sure to utilize that well.”
I nodded in agreement. A moment of silence later, I huffed, “It’s my friend, not me!”
“Don’t be a fool, Scar. You don’t have to explain everything to me as long as you’re the winner,” Jackson joked. It occurred to me that he sounded really mature now.
I fell silent without offering an explanation.
Just then, Lydia’s voice rang out. “Jackson…”
“I have to go. Talk to you later.” Jackson abruptly hung up after saying that.
“Goodbye…” Before I could bid him goodbye, he had already hung up.
Jackson seemed to be leading a great life now. I felt happy for him, for life would only get better if hope were alive.
I put down my phone and sipped on the warm coffee. The temperature was just right. Staring at the bustling street, I fell into deep thought.
Nathaniel is avoiding me, so how should I make him jealous until he loses control of his emotions?
Right then, an old lady trotted over, holding a dog on the leash. She was moving slowly with her walking cane. There was a shopping bag hung over her cane with a few oranges in it. A young man holding a skateboard dashed past her and ripped her shopping bag open. Instantly, the oranges fell onto the street. Perhaps the old lady had lost her hearing, for she sensed nothing and continued walking forward. However, her Labrador instantly tried to turn back.
The old lady pulled the dog’s leash twice before giving up and turning back. It was only then that she realized the oranges were scattered all over the ground and turned back to pick them up.
The warming sight made my lips curve up. Perhaps it was a nice idea to keep dogs as pets in the future.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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